Kingdom Hearts Re:Birth By Sleep
by AeropostleKeyblade
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Birth By Sleep. However, this story has one more player to it then just those three...  Slight A/U. Contains VenXAqua later on.
1. New Student

Disclamer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Only OCs, this story, and more that follow.

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><p><p>

_"In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."_

" This is the oath you must take if you wish to train under my teachings."

Master Eraqus glared sternly at the young boy who held his head low, his long, spiky hair covering his face. It was not the first the first time a child had asked to be trained to be a master of the Keyblade, but Eraqus had sensed something in the boy's heart. Now, here they were, in the Throne of the Masters, in the castle that Eraqus had lived in ever since he earned the Mark of Mastery.

" If you accept, than you will have to endure the most rigorous training. And you will be expected to follow my rules, orders, and teachings." Eraqus explained. The boy still did not look up. Eraqus felt his stern frown loosen. He may be overly stern as he calls himself, but he didn't want to bring the boy to tears.

" If you don't feel up to the task, then you don't have to accept." He added in a tone that would remind some one of a caring father.

The boy's head lifted up a little, though Eraqus still could not see his eyes. Eraqus decided on that spot, that if this boy should accept, he would create a warrior that would make his late master proud.

Eraqus extended out his right hand and summoned his Keyblade. It had the appearance of an old fashioned skeleton key, with the teeth in the shape of an 'E'. Eraqus flipped the Master Keeper so that he was holding the blade himself, and the hilt and handle were directed at the boy. He once again recited the Oath of Inheritance to the boy except this time, when Eraqus finished, the boy looked up at him and Eraqus had a look at his eyes.

They were a light shade of green that reminded him of the sea. Deep within them, a fire of pride could be seen beyond the kindness they showed. The boy gingerly, reached out his hand, and grasped the Master Keeper's hilt. The Mark was sealed.

Eraqus smiled and dismissed his Keyblade. "My name is Master Eraqus." he extended his hand out. The boy stared at it, and then, slowly took it. It was then at that moment, they became master and student.

Eraqus clasped his hands together. "Well then, off to bed," he said, showing the boy to his room. "You have a long day ahead of you." They walked down the halls of the castle to what would now be the boy's room. As the boy reached for the handle, Eraqus stopped him. "I never got your name." he said.

The boy smiled. "It's Ian sir, Ian Hikari."

Eraqus smiled. "Very well then," he turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Ian."

"Goodnight,"

As Eraqus closed the door, Ian spoke once again. "Master Eraqus."

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	2. Training

Here's the second chapter. Sorry about the length of the first one.

Disclamer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Enjoy!

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><p>It has now been eight years since the day Ian became Eraqus' pupil. He had watched as his student went from a small boy, to a young man in what had seemed like no time at all.<p>

Yet even though he was a wielder of the Keyblade now, Ian still was not a morning person.

Eraqus was in the kitchen enjoying his morning herbal tea, when a very tired Ian slouched into the room. "Well, look who's finally up." he chuckled to himself. Ian merely groaned and started make himself some breakfast. "When you're done with you breakfast, join me and the others in the training grounds." Eraqus finished his drink and left.

Ian finished his eggs and went back to his room. He put on his outfit for the day; which consisted of black gloves,black pants that had a vertical zipper going down the side of each leg,black, white-lined shoes, a white undershirt, and a short, black jacket with a white Mark of Mastery on the right shoulder and the back. Before he left, he opened his dresser drawer and pulled out his necklace.

It was a gift from Eraqus when he had received his first Keyblade. The charm necklace was silver and in the shape of a crown. Ian cherished it and almost never took it off, except for when he went to bed and bathed. He finished adjusting it and, with one final look in the mirror, he dashed outside to join his master.

The training grounds were located off a trail that lead up to the castle. Eraqus was busy teaching his other pupils whom had joined him as his students a few years back. The first one, Terra, was eighteen. He was the strongest of his pupils and had quickly become Eraqus' surrogate son. No one knew why, but Eraqus cared for Terra like his own. The other, Aqua, was fourteen and was his star pupil. Aqua had become interested in using mostly magic in her training. If she continued to excel, she could become a powerful mage.

Eraqus was explaining to them the importance of their duties as Keyblade wielder when Ian finally showed up, out of breath due to running the whole way. "Now that everyone is present," Eraqus said, summoning his Keyblade. "Let us begin."

Terra summoned his Keyblade, dubbed Earthshaker, while Aqua summoned hers, dubbed Rainfall. Ian glanced at both Terra and Aqua's summons before summoning his Keyblade.

The Keyblade, Key of Light, appeared in his hand. It had a black handle and a rectangular, gold guard with long spikes on each of its corners. The long shaft was silver and had concave edges, and ended in a spike. The teeth were shaped like a large arrowhead. The keychain was a diamond resembling the teeth.

"Now, let us begin." said Eraqus.

They sparred for the rest of the afternoon. Eraqus was training with Terra, while Aqua and Ian faced off together. Eraqus happened to glance over to view Aqua and Ian's duel, when he noticed that Aqua's stance was off. "Aqua," he ordered, "fix your stance!"

Aqua turned away from the fight, and in that brief second, was knocked off her feet by Ian. She landed hard on her side while her Keyblade was flung across the training grounds.

Ian stood grinning over Aqua with his Keyblade strung over his shoulder. Aqua tried getting up, but suddenly gasped out in pain. Ian's smile fell faster than a rock dropped off a cliff.

Eraqus quickly rushed over and checked Aqua for any injuries. Aqua winced when he brushed against her wrist. "Oh, dear, it's a broken wrist." Eraqus helped Aqua up and started leading her back to the castle. "Training has been dismissed." Eraqus snarled. Ian started towards the injured mage. "Aqua, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Eraqus glared at him. "We will discuss this later, Ian. He growled.

Ian hung his head low and followed Eraqus back to the castle.

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	3. A Lesson of the Heart

Sorry about the late upload.

I don't own anythig except Ian and this plot.

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><p>Ian paced around the castle throne room, anxious to hear about Aqua's injury. He hadn't meant for her to get hurt, he simply saw an opening and took it. It had been several minutes before Eraqus entered the room.<p>

"How is she?"

"Just a small fracture, nothing that can't be fixed." Eraqus breathed. Ian smiled slightly before frowning again. " Ian, you've got to realize that no one fights just to win." Eraqus lectured. "Each of us has someone or something to protect. That is why we fight. I fight to keep you, Aqua, and Terra safe from harm, and to protect this land."

Ian sighed. He had received numerous lectures like this for awhile. "I understand Master," Ian explained. "But I don't think that I have someone to protect. "

Eraqus frowned at this. He thought long and hard. How was Ian going to find someone to protect so he can learn? It soon hit him like a ton of bricks. " I have an idea Ian," he explained. "Follow me."

Eraqus led Ian down a hallway on the lower floors, past dusty and cobwebbed doors. Ian had never been down this area of the castle. Eraqus stopped him when they reached a door with a name plaque on it. The name had long since disappeared.

Eraqus unlocked the door with a simple key instead of his Keyblade. "Wait here." he simply said and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

Ian waited while Eraqus was in the unknown room. He soon lost track of time and started to doze off. He was then awakened by the sense that someone else was there. Ian searched the hall until he found the source.

An old man in a black coat walked up to him, he had a hunch in his back and was completely hairless except for the silver goatee on his chin.

"Hello there young Ian," the man said in a raspy voice. "What brings you to the dark corridors of the lower levels?"

"Not much Master Xehanort." Ian replied. He sighed once again.

Xehanort tilted his head like a curious puppy, that is, an extremely old puppy. "Is some thing troubling you my lad?" he asked, his golden eyes piercing Ian's green ones. Ian explained what had happened at the training grounds. When he had finished, Xehanort chuckled.

"Eraqus can keep pretending all he wants, but you will never be a master in his eyes. Just a boy whose sole purpose is to fight for himself and only for himself."

Ian felt his blood boil with anger. He never understood why, but Xehanort always gave him the creeps. And his secret anger only grew when Xehanort got into a heated argument with Eraqus a few days ago, which resulted in Xehanort seemingly defending himself and scarring Eraqus. Ian clenched his fist at the image of the long scar running across his Master's face. Eraqus would surely be angered by Xehanort's unexpected visit.

Xehanort noticed Ian's clenched fist and chuckled once again. "You mustn't keep all that anger bottled up my boy, let it all out at once. Let it empower you. Strengthen you. Only in rage can you overcome any obstacle."

It took all of Ian's willpower to prevent him from snapping back at Xehanort. He simple nodded. Xehanort returned the gesture and left Ian to his thoughts. Soon after Xehanort was out of view, Eraqus emerged from the mysterious room holding what appeared to be a crystal.

Eraqus led Ian back to the throne room. "This crystal, is from an island world not far from here. I found it while training there. It represents the worlds and people I protect every day as a Keyblade Master." The crystal was bright blue and was giving off a strange glow. "It also serves as a way point between the island and this castle."

A beam of light shot out from the crystal and connected with the stained glass over the front doors. Ian watched as the light shined on the throne room and created a portal that was shimmering like gold. Eraqus clasped his hand on Ian's shoulder.

"After you, my friend." he said.

Ian walked through the portal and into a blaze of light that hurt his eyes. When the light cleared he was greeted to the sound of waves. They were on an island, lit by the warm light of the setting sun. The waves were crashing softly against the shore, and the air smelled of salt. "Welcome to the Destiny Islands." Eraqus announced.

Ian was speechless. Never, in his entire life, had he seen such a beautiful beach. Behind him, a small road roped passed some houses and continued passed rolling hills towards a fairly large town. Palm trees dotted the sandy shore and from far away, a group of gulls called.

"Master Eraqus, why have you brought me to this remote world?"

Eraqus chuckled. "Well I wouldn't call it 'remote' at all." he explained. "After all, it is where your're going to be living for the next few months." Ian spun around and stared at his master as if he had just said something completely crazy.

"Ian, for the next few months you are going to live on this island, and train your heart. There is a small house located on the far side of the beach. You will train your heart and find a person or place to protect. When you have completed this, I shall bring you back to the castle." Eraqus smiled. "Good luck." he replied cheerfully. Ian just stood there like a fish out of water as Eraqus traversed through the portal back to the castle.

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><p>Please Rate and Review (I NEED REVIEWS!) Also I'm sorry for the length of the chapters. They seem alot longer on Word. :(<p> 


	4. Someone to Protect

FINALLY!

Sorry it's so late, but with school and writers block, this is challangeing.

I would like to thank MikitoHyuga and Tatyana Witwicky for their support during my writer's block.

I would also like to thank Uruz 11 for his advice.

ENJOY!

I Dont own Kingdom Hearts. (Wish I did.)

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><p>Aqua gazed out at the mountainous scenery from her balcony. The sun was slowly dipping down behind the horizon as the day ended. She glanced at her arm which was wrapped in bandages. Aqua was immediately wracked with guilt. Ian was in trouble because of her. If she had only kept her guard up, than she would't have been injured. Now Ian, who Aqua cared for like a brother, was now alone on some far away world.<p>

A sharp knock at the door woke her from her thoughts. "Aqua, it's me." the voice of Terra answered from the other side. Aqua opened it, letting Terra in.

"Before you say anything Terra, it wasn't Ian's fault." She said with sadness in her voice. Now it was hurting her just saying his name.

"I already know that." Terra growled. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I just wanted to see how your holding up."

Aqua glanced out her window sadly. "Terra, this is MY fault. If only I had been more careful, If only I hadn't messed up, Ian would still be here." Aqua's voice quivered. Tears were forming in her eyes and her words were tumbling over each other.

Terra placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself Aqua," he said, showing off his infamous smirk. "This is Ian were talking about. The guy who went twelve rounds with me, who has enough skill to rival the master, and whose cooking skills are better than mine. And I burn everything when I try."

Aqua smiled. She remembered the last time Terra tried cooking a home meal. It was utter chaos. The stuff actually tried to _eat_ her!

"Now come on, the master's making dinner." Terra said. "And don't worry about Ian. He can totally handle this."

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><p>"I TOTALLY CAN NOT HANDLE THIS!" Ian screamed to the heavens. People walking in the streets of the small island town glanced at him strangely. He was in what Terra called his "Panic Mode".<p>

Solitude on a far away world he could handle. Living on his own he could handle. Battling the denizens of darkness he could handle in his sleep. But an empty refrigerator?

Nope.

Ian's logical thinking snapped him out of panic mode. He checked his pockets for the third time since he left to go shopping. He had a total of 30,000 munny. That should give him enough food to last him a good two months.

He walked for hours looking for a general store. As he walked, he thought about what Eraqus had told him. Find someone to protect? What does that mean?

How would he know when he's found someone?

Ian glanced down at his hand. Is it possible that the Keyblade would show him?

He stood there silently thinking when...

"AHH! SOMEONE HELP!"

So much for silently thinking.

Ian leapt into action. He ran in the direction where he heard the cry for help. His path took him down a narrow alley littered with trash and wooden beams. He came to the end of the alley and stopped.

A young girl that looked a year younger than him was backed into a corner. A gang of large, tough looking men were surrounding her. They were all carrying bo-staffs. Ian stiffened. Something was telling him that he should defend her.

"Lookie here boys, looks like a little kitty got lost." the toughest looking one said. "Let's _play_ with her." he chuckled.

Ian had enough. "HEY!" he yelled.

The gang of rough-necks turned. "What right do you have to gang up on someone like that?" he growled. "I'll ask only once." Ian's eyes flash dangerously "Leave. Her. _Alone._"

"This doesn't concern ya spiky." the tough guy sneered. "Now I don't know who the hell you are, but you obviously haven't heard of us. So I'll make this easy by having my boys here teach ya a lesson."

The many rough-necks readied there bo-staffs. Ian glanced at the overwhelming odds in front of him. He extended his arm and summoned Key of Light. Instantly the cocky grins of the rough-necks disappeared as they glanced at the magical weapon. It got quiet. Real quiet.

The rough-necks ran for it. "I'm outta here!" one cried. "He's all yers, Boss!" another one yelled.

The head rough-neck was in total shock. "YOU PATHETIC, WORTHLESS COWARADS!" he bellowed. "GET YER BUTTS BACK HERE NOW!"

But they were long gone. Ian glared back at the massive man. "I guess it's just you and me big guy." he grinned, flexing his Keyblade.

"YOU TRASHY PUNK!" The rough-neck charged Ian. He brought his Keyblade up just in time to block the bo-staff. The brute then brought his staff down upon Ian. Ian spun out of the way and connected his fist to a spot just below the top of the brute's neck.

The brute dropped like a rock, out cold. Ian dismissed his Keyblade. He turned his attention to the young girl, who was sitting in the corner sobbing.

Ian placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. They're gone." The girl looked up and there eyes connected.

The first thing Ian noticed was that she was very pretty. She had light chestnut hair that lightly draped over her shoulder. Her eyes were a light cerulean and seemed to go on forever. Ian felt his heart race. She stared at the hand that once held a Keyblade.

"That-that thing you used..." she whispered.

Ian summoned Key of Light. "You mean my Keyblade?"

"Yes, I've never seen anything like it." she said, staring at the mystical sword.

Ian smiled. "It's one of a kind. Not many people can wield one."

The girl seemed confused. "Why's that?"

Ian was about to explain when a low rumble was heard. They looked up to see the sky darken. Then it started to rain. Ian felt cold droplets running down his back.

"How far's you house?" Ian asked. He was very concerned about this girl getting sick. She smiled sheepishly. "Half way across town."

Too far.

"My place is just down the beach. If we hurry, we might make it before it starts pouring."

Ian helped the girl up and they ran as fast as they could to get out of the rain. They soon arrived at the house Eraqus had pointed out to Ian when he first arrived on the island. It was a well furnished house with a fireplace in the living room. The girl sat down on the couch. Ian gave her an extra blanket from his bedroom and went into the kitchen to see if he could make something to warm them up.

He was shocked to find the whole kitchen well stocked. On the counter was a note. It read: _Make it last - Eraqus_. Ian searched the cupboards until he found some tea bags. Minutes later he had two cups of herbal tea ready, which he carried back to the living room.

"Here you go." he said, handing the girl her cup. she smiled. Ian walked to the fireplace and summoned Key of Light.

"_Fire_."

A small ball of fire erupted from the tip of his Keyblade and ignited the fireplace. The room soon was bathed in an orange glow and a wave of warmth filled the air. Ian sat down beside the girl.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Ian, Ian Hikari."

"Where're you from?"

" A castle in a world called the Land of Departure."

She stared in amazement. Her eyes began to sparkle with wonder. Ian grinned. Her eyes were beautiful in the light of the fire.

"Your from another world?" she whispered

"Yep."

"How old are you?"

Eighteen, you?"

"Seventeen."

Ian sipped some of his tea. He smiled at the girl. "I never got your name." he said.

"Marie." she answered. She smiled and Ian's heart melted.

Ian smiled at hearing her name. He placed his cup down. "I can tell there are more questions Marie. Questions I'll gladly answer."

Marie asked question after question and Ian answered them all. He told her about his home, about Terra, Aqua, Eraqus, and even Xehanort. He told her about the training he did. He even told her the time Terra tried to cook.

"And then," Ian chuckled. "this glob of whatever grabs Aqua and tries to eat her. Terra's running around in circles freaking out while the master and I are doing the real work trying to save Aqua." Marie was laughing. Her laugh was like a bird song. Ian silently wished he could here her laugh forever.

"Did Terra ever make dinner again?" she asked after calming down.

"No. He mostly burns everything now." Ian answered.

Marie smiled and met his eyes. Something connected. Something that was going to change their lives for good.

"Ian," she whispered. "Why are you here?"

Ian sighed. He knew this was coming. "During one of our training sessions I accidently injured Aqua. The master led me here to train my heart so I could learn to protect someone."

"Instead of fighting to win, right?" Marie asked.

"Yeah."

Marie shifted. She was drawing closer to Ian. So close. She could see the exact shade of green that his eyes were.

"Did you ever find that person to protect?" she asked.

Ian was drawing closer to Marie as well. He seemed to be lost in those deep blue eyes of hers.

"I don't know." he replied. "It depends if that person wants to be protected."

"I think that person does." she replied. There faces drew closer. Marie's hand gently brushed his face. They drew closer and closer. Then, when they were millimeters apart, she kissed him.

Ian's heart raced. He felt like melting in her arms. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity.

They soon pulled out. And they stared into each others eyes. Marie laid her head upon his chest, and soon fell asleep. Ian smiled at this. A strange feeling was within his heart. A feeling that he should always be by her side, that he should make sure she is safe.

Ian didn't know if Eraqus foresaw this, or if the Keyblade truly helped him find her. All he knew was that he now understood what Eraqus meant.

He know knew, what it meant to have someone to protect.

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><p>Xehanort silent watched as his pupil fought with the creatures of the dark. It would all begin soon. He silently chuckled as he watched the boy grow stronger. Soon he would be ready, the ultimate key would be his. And once again, the War would start anew.<p>

Now he needed his new vessel. That dark ark that would sustain his cold, black heart.

Perhaps, _he_ would do...

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><p>PLEASE PLEASE CLICK THAT REVEIW BUTTON!<p>

Once again, this is my first story. So any advice would be fine.

THANKS!


	5. Dreams, Love, and Laughter

SORRY!

I know this is late, but life has been majorly sucking...

It took me forever to write this chapter...

Family losses, groundings, and technical difficulties kept me from updating sooner.

P.S. Don't own Kingdom Hearts. Otherwise, this story would be a game.

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><p><em>Ian found himself on a flat desert plain. The sky was painted a soft gold due to the setting sun.<em>

_He realized that it would had been normal enough, if it wasn't for the thousands of rusty, abandoned Keyblades implanted into the ground. Abandoned for many years, dull colored due their lack of a master._

_Ian started to worry. He had seen this dream before. However, this time was different._

_A whirlwind kicked up a fine amount of dust, blocking his view from the "graveyard". Even though it was a dream, Ian found it hard to breathe. His eyes stung and his throat filled with sand._

_The whirlwind however, soon cleared. In the middle of the rows of Keyblades there was an open space forming a sort of crossroad. In the center were three armored figures armed with Keyblades. Even with the capes he easily spotted them. Two of the figures, a male and a female, Ian recognized immediately._

"_Terra? Aqua?"_

_Ian's friends simply looked upon the horizon. They didn't seem to be aware of his presence. _

"_Aqua! Terra!" Ian yelled hoarsely. Still they did not respond. Ian then turned his attention to the third figure. He had to be at least fifteen or sixteen. His armor resembled Terra's greatly, the difference being instead of the red and gold that Terra_'s_ sported, were steel blue and gold instead. The prongs upon the helmet were also reversed unlike Terra's. The cape was a soft grass color._

_A shadowed figure appeared on the horizon, obscured by the sand and dust kicked up by the sudden wind earlier._

_The figure slowly approached Terra, Aqua, and the boy in armor. As it got closer, Ian could make out more of it. The figure was dressed in a black hooded coat, his face obscured, yet he had a obvious hunch in his back. As the hooded man got closer, Ian had to look twice_ _as another hooded man appeared beside him for a brief second before disappearing. In the second man's place, was a boy dressed in an organic-looking body suit. The boy_'_s face was obscured by a black, glass-like mask attached to a silver faceguard. In his right hand he held a Keyblade._

_It was one Ian had never seen before. The teeth and head were black with a red outline and possessed a round, cog-like shape. The handle was red and the guard had the same coloration and cog-like shape as the teeth. The shaft was predominantly colored in shades of grey and sported a copper-colored gear in the center, with two intersecting, black chains wrapped around it. Two more chains wrapped around the base of the shaft in a similar fashion. It also had two, cat-like eyes, one located in the head of the blade and one embedded in the hilt._

_The young armored figure started to advance, but was pushed back by Terra, who ran faster than Ian had ever seen him run. The hooded man and the boy, who Ian assumed to be his apprentice, stopped their advance and seemed to be waiting for something. As Terra got closer, the man extended his left hand, and suddenly raised it up quickly._

_A rocky pillar suddenly rose from the ground in front of Terra's feet. Terra crashed into the formation and stumbled. The man and his apprentice rose higher, carried by another pillar of earth. Terra attempted to stand up and regain balance, but he fell back down. He stood there catching his breath while Aqua and the other boy ran passed him. Regaining his strength, Terra followed as they chased after the hooded figure._

_As if sensing an intense battle, the skies darkened. Suddenly an unbelievable gust of wind ripped the Keyblades from the ground. They gathered together in a vortex of rusty, but deadly weapons and pursued after Terra and the others. The masked boy caught up to the armored boy and swung his Keyblade at him, only to be blocked by the others. Sparks flew as the blades connected from the furious swings of their wielders. The masked boy suddenly unleashed a volley of ice at the boy, who barely managed to escape. The waves of ice smashed into the face of a plateau and spread across it. Aqua, not as fast as the two boys engaged in combat, tried her best to keep up. She soon noticed the vortex of Keyblades gaining on them. Her speed increased as she tried to escape from the gaining vortex._

_The masked boy suddenly jumped and started riding one Keyblade like a surfboard. He chased after Aqua and the boy, sending more waves of Blizzard spells after them as the vortex weaved left and right like a demented snake. Twice, the armored boy crashed into the rushing weapons and stumbled, but he regained his footing quickly and continued to keep pace with the masked boy while Aqua sent volleys of Fire and Thunder spells at the assailant, all missing their target._

_Not far away, Ian watched the spectacular battle taking place before him. From his place upon one of the many plateaus that dotted the battle field, he scanned for Terra. Ian soon spotted him rushing towards the tallest plateau but the vortex of Keyblades snaked past him and knocked him over the edge. Ian watched in horror as Terra tumbled down the side of the rocky path. Terra stabbed his Keyblade into the rock in an attempt to slow his decent. But the cliff-face suddenly crumbled and Terra was left suspended many feet above the ground._

_It was then that Ian noticed Aqua watching Terra struggle from the ground. Stormy grey cape fluttering in the wind, her eyes fixed on her friend; she failed to notice the masked boy, still riding the vortex of Keyblades racing down at her. Ian called out to her as the vortex screamed towards her. But his warning fell on deaf ears. Aqua was knocked sideways as the many blades sliced past her. The vortex then slammed into Terra and started to carry him towards the plateau that he was heading to._

_Aqua crashed into the ground twice before slamming into a rock. She lay motionless as the armored boy ran to her side. Ian gazed on in shock as Aqua tried to stand up. Her helmet was shattered, allowing her azure hair to flow down her neck. Helped to her feet by the boy in armor, she regained her Keyblade and sent a Reflect spell at the vortex of Keyblades racing towards the top of the tallest pillar of rock._

_The spell produced a shell of energy around Terra, protecting him from the sharp tips of the Keyblades. However, the vortex still carried him higher until the spell absorbed too many hits from the Keyblades and the shell of energy exploded throwing Terra onto the top of the plateau._

_The armored boy rushed to Terra's aid leaving Aqua to gaze upon Terra's location._

_Ian searched for Terra, but the dust kicked up by the vortex blocked his view. The masked boy had also disappeared. Ian soon felt like someone was watching him. He turned around to find the masked boy standing almost behind him. Ian leapt back and summoned Key of Light._

"_You really think you stand a chance against me?" the masked boy asked. Ian was surprised to hear his own voice but it was cold, drawling, and was filled with malice. "I can sure try!" Ian retorted. "I'm not going to let you harm any of my friends. The same goes for your master!"_

_The masked boy let out a cold, evil laugh that made the hair on Ian's back stand up. "You are so full of yourself. All you care about is winning the fight and being the wonderful blessed hero you dream about in your lame castle with your so-called friends."_

_Ian felt his blood boil, his hand gripped his Keyblade tighter. T_h_e masked boy tilted his head._

"_Oh, I'm sorry. Did I strike a nerve?" he asked sarcastically. "Man, you are worthless. You're just a hero wanna-be. You'll never live up to your master's expectations. He fears your strength." _

"_SHUT UP!" Ian roared. The masked boy laughed again. "Find some use for that anger, or your friends will pay the price." Ian raised his eyebrows in confusion. The masked boy pointed towards an area to the direct left of him. Ian followed the boy's hand and felt his Keyblade fall from his grasp. Far from help were Aqua and the hooded man in combat, with Aqua showing signs of fatigue. He watched in terror as Aqua dueled with the hooded figure. The figure was wielding a Keyblade; a long, chipped, asymmetrical blade that resembled both Terra's and the masked boy's weapon. His heart nearly froze as Aqua was knocked to the ground by her opponent, her Keyblade out of reach._

_A gust of wind blew the hood of the figure and Ian almost cried out. It was Terra! His eyes were blazing gold and darkness was flowing from his body. Terra picked up Aqua's Keyblade and shattered it. The two halves of her weapon crumbled as they hit the ground._

_The masked boy drawled on. "Your anger and hate towards your opponents seep into Terra, corrupting his heart. You keep fighting for your precious light and Terra will sink deeper and deeper..." Ian stood helplessly as Terra unleashed a Dark Thunder spell on Aqua. He cringed as he heard her scream as the lightning ran through her. Terra stepped closer._

"_And do you know what my favorite part is Ian?"_

_Terra's mouth twisted into a sinister grin as he raised his Keyblade. Aqua looked at him, tears of fear running down her face._

"_You'll never be able to save them."_

_Terra then brought his weapon down upon his defenseless opponent with a cold inhuman laugh._

"_TERRA! NO!"_

* * *

><p>Ian jolted awake. Cold sweat ran down his face. He took in to his surroundings. He was back in his home on the island. The fire had long since died away. The sun had barely risen and the sky was dotted with clouds from yesterday's storm. Ian planted his face into his hands. It was just a dream.<p>

But which parts were the dream?

Ian looked down at Marie. She was still laying beside him, sleeping peacefully. He then remembered everything that happened yesterday. The rough-necks, the rain, her laughter, her smile, the way her eyes shimmered in the firelight, the-

The kiss.

Ian thought back to that moment when his heart almost melted. He gazed back at her and gently stroked her hair. Marie shifted closer to him. She was utterly defenseless in his presence. He remembered the fear in her eyes when she saw the Keyblade. Was that masked boy right? Was his strength something that people would fear?

Ian got up, careful not to wake Marie. He got his jacket which he had taken off yesterday, and stepped outside. He sat on the front steps and watched the sun rise from the horizon. Ian remembered what the masked boy had said. _"You are so full of yourself. All you care about is winning the fight and being the wonderful blessed hero..."_

Ian sighed. The masked boy's words had him deeply worried._ "Was that boy right?"_ he thought as the sun rose into the sky. _"Does Master Eraqus really fear my strength?"_ Ian immediately shook the idea away. Eraqus was only worried about his reasons for fighting. His master was one who would always speak his mind when a problem arose. If he was really worried about Ian's strength, he would talk to him about the issue.

"Get a grip of yourself Ian," he told himself sternly. "It's only a dream."

But Ian still worried. The countless records that he had studied with Aqua had explained that many Keyblade wielders had the ability to see the future through their dreams. Could it be possible that-

"You like sunrises too?"

Ian slightly jumped. He turned around to see Marie stepping out on the porch, the blanket from last night draped around her. She sat beside him as the glow from the sun radiated over the beach.

"You should see the sunrises at the Land of Departure." Ian commented. "Takes your breath away."

She smiled. "I bet they do. I can't wait to see one."

There was an unusual period of silence. Ian took a deep breath. "Marie, there's something I need to ask you. Don't take this the wrong way, I think you are an amazing person, but last night-"

"You want to know why I kissed you." Marie interrupted.

There was another long, awkward silence. Ian simply stared at the pink and orange sky.

Marie sighed. "Ian, I can't really explain it. Somehow, I knew that you were meant to protect me, and for some reason I felt that meeting you was not an accident. That somehow, we were destined to be together. The only explanation I could give you is that it was-"

"Love at first sight?"

Marie giggled. "Well, I guess you can put it that way."

Ian grinned. "You may have a point, us meeting must have been fated. There's just no other explanation. I think that Master Eraqus might have had some inkling as to the nature of bringing me here, but then again, no one could have predicted what happened yesterday."

He stood up finally. "Come on, we gotta get you home." Marie nodded and went back inside to drop off the blanket. She returned a minute later.

"My mother must be worried sick." she muttered sheepishly.

She began to leave, however, she had only gone a few steps when Ian grabbed her wrist.

"Do you honestly think that after what happened yesterday, I would just let you walk home alone?" he laughed. Marie smiled slyly. "Those knuckle-heads from before might be out for revenge, and I promised myself that I would protect you."

"Well then, _Master_ Hikari," she teased in an airy voice reserved for the snobby rich. "Will you kindly escort me home?"

Ian smiled. " Lady Marie, it shall be an honor." he replied in the same tone. The two lovers stared blankly at each other before they erupted into mad fits of laughter.

"Wh-Why are we talking like idiots?" Ian wheezed as he clutched his aching ribs.

"I-I have no idea."

Marie was doubled over with silent laughter that caused her entire body to shake. Each time the could compose themselves, they suddenly found themselves starting up again.

They finally calmed down after six tries.

* * *

><p>"...And there doesn't appear to be any sign of severe bruising."<p>

It had been at least a week since Aqua had been injured and Eraqus was delighted to find out that her wrist had been healing rapidly. She could now turn it without much pain. However, it would be sometime before she would be able to use her Keyblade again.

"I say we give it a few more weeks, and then you can return to your training." he explained as he wrapped a new bandage around it.

Aqua gave him the ghost of a smile, but the news wasn't giving her much happiness. Ian still had not returned from where ever he was and the castle seemed very dull without him being around.

Eraqus could sense his student's dilemma, and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. When she looked at him, his heart almost broke at the sight of the tears falling from her eyes. "Aqua, there are some lessons that are best learned with self guidance. You, Ian, and Terra are going to face situations that would bring out the worst in you. Things that could break your spirit and mind. In order to conquer these obstacles, we must rely on what we have learned and trust in our hearts that all will be well." Aqua gave her wise master a kind smile, drying her eyes. " I miss him too," Eraqus continued. " but it will do no good sitting here worrying about him. Just trust him. Ian will return unscathed. I promise."

He finished wrapping Aqua's arm and helped her to her feet. "Now, just because your injury prevents you from summoning your Keyblade; does not mean you are free from your studies." he said with a sly grin. " I would like you to produce an essay on the relations of elemental spells and the strength of a wielder. I will retrieve it three weeks from now."

Aqua smiled as they walked out of the sick room and down the hall. "I better get started then." she said.

Just then, there was a loud explosion that shook the halls. Aqua and Eraqus glanced at each other and ran to the source. They entered the main hall to find Terra covered from head to toe in black soot, holding what was left of a spell book. He coughed, and a cloud of smoke escaped his mouth. Aqua giggled at the fact that a strand of Terra's hair had caught fire.

Eraqus frowned. "You tried to use a Magica level spell, didn't you?"

Terra smiled sheepishly. "Uhm...yeah...heheh."

Eraqus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. _Here comes that migraine again..._

"Terra, how many times do I have to tell you, You don't have the skills for such advanced magic.

Go clean yourself up, and when your done, you are to undergo endurance training for the rest of the night."

Terra's eyes widened in horror. Eraqus just had to bring up endurance training. The training session consisted of them standing under a freezing cold waterfall for as long as the master decreed. Terra hated it, the temperature of the water always caused him to be bedridden with a nasty cold for at least a week.

"Master, please..." he pleaded. Eraqus pointed to the wash rooms. "Get going, then." he replied sternly.

"But, I was just-"

"_Terra..._" Eraqus' voice dropped dangerously low. Terra hung his head in defeat, walking towards the wash rooms as if he was heading towards his own funeral.

* * *

><p>Rate and review.<p> 


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